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Originally Posted by ksgbobo

Just wanted to throw in my two cents.

I've been down to the Keys every year for the past five years and love it. IMO, if you don't have a boat, a good size boat, you miss out on alot. But thats for another time.

I did a charter our of Marathon with my in-laws that was a bigger boat, and we had around 30 people onboard. That was fun, it was cheaper, and we caught lots of fish, the only downside is that you have to claim a certain part of the boat to fish from, which can get crowded if the fishin is good.

Make sure you do some snorklin. That is always fun, and the kids will enjoy that. This is where the boat would be nice, but you can book snorkeling charters as well. Or you can find a "beach" and snorkel around there or go to the parks. The Bahia Honda State Park is fun, but cost money, but there are lots of snorkeling spots around there. Just don't get tempted to jump off the bridge like I did.

I am not a big fan of Key West, but there is lots to do out of there, and there are some good charters out of there as well.

If you rent a boat, just be careful, and make sure you get charts to know where you are going and to not ground the boat. There are alot of idiots down there who do not know how to operate boats and end up in trouble. I can attest to that, with my idiot friend. Just be careful regardless and have fun.

Thanks. Definately planning on fishing and snorkling. Need to get the lay of the land once we get down there. Will start planning in earnest a little closer to launch date.